Gas control for aircraft



Nov. 24, 1931. M. B. PUPP GAS CONTROL FOR AIRCRAFT Filed April 17, 1930 WITNESSES;

Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTIQF F ICE-f.

max B. Purr, or sonnnn'ron, rEivns LvAnm, AssIeivon or ONE-HALF TO env ron x. GOTWALS, or sounnn'ron, PENNSYLVANIA. a a A GAS common roa AIRCRAF Application filed April 17,

This invention relates to gascontrol for aircraft and has for an object to provide imbe dissipated.

sure relatively than the gas at sea level or starting, that the r'elativeincrease of gas pres sure is dangerous as perhaps disrupting the chamber to the damage of the craft and the 'loss'of gas. The sameconditionis sometimes brought about by heat expanding the contained gases. o

The object of the present invention, is to provide a receptacle into which overflow gases are conducted, when byreason of relative expansion, the pressure within the gas containers becomes greater than desired and to further provide means for re-conducting the stored overflow gases back to, the containers as relative pressures'may vary,

- A'further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle normally containing no gas, or only the remnants of former gas,with a pipe-line leading from the gas container or containers to such empty compartment and with pumpingmeans for. withdrawing the gas from such empty compartment and returning it to the original gas compartment. A further object of the invention is to provide a collapsible gas container in communication, by a valved pipeline, with the gas containers ofthe craft and adapted to receive overflow gas therefrom, with manually controlled means for restoring thegas, from said collapsible container, to the buoyant chambers. r The invention therefore comprises the provision of a chamber of normally variable capacity with a valved conduit from the gas compartment,.a pumping installation'and a i 1930. Serial No. 444,939,

pipe-linefrom thevariable compartment back 4 to the gas compartment; a 1

My invention is directed to other objects and possesses other features of novelty and advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be hereinafter set'forth.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a schematic view of an aircraft showing conventional gas compartments and an auxiliary collapsible compartment with conduits communicating both to and from said compartments, i v

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view'of one of the inlet valves from the pump, and,

Figure 3 is a detail view of oneof-the valves controlling the overflow of gas from the compartment to the collapsible container.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding views. a y

At Figure 1', inthe drawings, a body 10 parts throughout the several is shown, intended to conventionallyyillus} V trate a buoyant unit of an aircraft. It is to be understood that this unit may be the sole buoyant unit or coupled with other units to form'the lift necessary for the craft and the showing of this individual unit is no limitation upon the invention as to the number.- of units, shape, proportion, size or other features related thereto. 4

Within this unit have been shown a V plurality of gas compartments 11. These gas compartments, as illustrated, are purely conventional and may in fact be collapsible bags, rigid compartments or whatever type of gas container is' favored bythe construction engineer. Irrespectiveof 'thetype of gas con tainers, a compartment 12is provided at some convenient point in the craft. the drawings, this compartment 12 is indicated as located atthe stern of'the craft and withinthe' same unit as the gas 'compartments. It will be obvious, as the explana tionis unfolded, that this gas compartment may be located at any point within or with.- out the unit. .Wherever the compartment is located, it will contain a collapsible gas bag 13 normally empty. I

Extending from the gas compartment. or compartments l1 and communicating "with As shown in the collapsible bag 13 is a pipe-line 14. Within the gas compartment or the gas compartments as the case may be, valves 15 are interposed for the purpose of controlling the pressure within the compartments. At F igure 3, is illustrated a valve which may serve this purpose, it being understood, however, that the invention is not limitedto this specific type of valve. As shown, the valve 15"is pr6vided with a valve seat tease valve member 17 held resiliently to seat by the spring 18. It is obvious that spring 18 may be of any tension required, the tension applying in the operation ofthe device as will be hereinafter more fully'understood from the jexplanation of operation.

Communicating also with the bag 13 is a pipe-line; 19, which extends to some pumping unitindicated p convention-ally at 20. As shown in'the drawings, 'thispumping unit20 is located in theconventionally shown car 21,

but it is to be understood, ofccurs'e, that the 7 invention. I V

From the pumping unit a pipe 22 extends toa pipe line 23 which communicates with all of the several compartments 11 if more than one compartment is employed. This pipe-line 23 is provided with a valve24 for each compartment. At Figure 2, a valve is shown which may be successfully employed for this purpose comprising a valve seat 2-5 with a valve member 26 resiliently held to seat bythe spring :27. No particular pre-adjustment isnecessary in regard to this valve as the gas pressureiwithin the compartment will act upon the valve'to hold it tovseat augmenting thetension ofthe spring 27. It will be desirable that the tension-ing of the several springs 27, if more than one is employed, shall be substantially equal sofithat the restored gas pressure in the several com partments may also be equal.

In operation, asthe relative pressure within the compartments 11 increasesg such-pressure .will operate to'unseat the valve member so that gasffrom-the said compartments 11. may pass into the pipe-line 14 and there from into the collapsible bag 13 expanding such bag to such capacity as may benecessary to accommodate the overflow.

Asthe aircraft descends to denser atmosphere or when by reason of change of atmospheric or other contingencies, the pressure in the gas compartment should be reduced below normal. relativity the pump 20 is actubated manually or automatically to withdraw gas from the bag 13, through the pipe 19 and to the pipe-line 23. The excess of pressure I p I z N to the purpose indefinitely. in this pipe-l ne over the pressure 1n thecomof the ambient atmosphere. When the ternperature without the buoyant chamber rises,

.the temperature within the chamber likewise rises, and the gas within the compartment has a tendency to expand and increase the pressure. It is desirable to maintain the pressure of the gas .wi'thinthe chamber as nearly'atmospheri-c as possible at all times irrespective of the, temperatureand expansion. ..VVl1en byreason of expansion gas has moved from the buoyant chamber tothecollap'sible bag .13, it'd'oes so at substantially normal temperature by the displacement of the valve 15 so that the gas contained 'in the collapsible bag 13 is substantially at atmospheric pressure. When by reason of cooling,

the gas within the buoyant chambers is likewise cooled, it is necessary to return gas to these chambers, but the temperature .of'the return gas should be substantially the same as that of the gas within the compartments so that it will neither expand or contract the already contained gas; The pump 2O'with-V draws gas from; the flexiblebag 13, and forces itinto the compartment through the pipe 22 .With but very little rise in pressure, only enough to overcome the Very, slight resistance ofthe valves 24. .Asth'e gas in the bags 13 is-atatmospheric temperature, the gas will be. returned to the compartments at like temperatureand any rise in 1 temperature occassioned by compression at the pump will be exactly; counterbalanced by the cooling of theigas as it expandsinto the chambers, so that the-gas as introduced will be at atmospheric" temperature. This manner of, introducing the gas exactly at atmospheric temperature is distinguishedfrom introducing the gas 130 the chambers fromia high compression reservoir which has given up itsheat-by-elap'se of timeand when the gas isexpa'nded into the chamber, the contain'ed gas is cooled andthe volume reduced. As soon then as it is expanded by the heat of the atmoshpere, the pressurerises. .Instead of maintaining the gas at constant temperature and pressure, it iscontantly raised and lowered by such changes of temperature of introduced gas.

In this manner the non explosi ve, non-iniiammablegases now favored in aerial navigation and at present represented genericallyrby helium will be conservedand, withthe differential loss from leakage, will continue Oi; courseg the gas control for aircraft The invention is hereby claimed as fol-- lows 1. The combination with an aircraft comprising a buoyant gas compartment and an overflow bag of flexible material, a conduit forming communication from the buoyant compartment to the overflow bag, a relief valve in said conduit adapted to maintain a.

predetermined uniform gas pressure in the auoyant compartment, and means remotefrom the bag to return gas from the overflow bag directly to the buoyant compartment.

2. The combination with'an aircraft comprising a buoyant gas compartment and an overflow bag of flexible material, a valved conduit leading from the buoyant compartment to the bag and manually controlled means remote from the bag for returning gas from the bag directly to the buoyant compartment.

3. The combination with an aircraft comprising a buoyant gas compartment, an overflow bag of flexible material and pumping means remote from the bag adapted to withdraw gas from the bag and return it directly to the buoyant compartment. I 4. The combination'with an aircraft comprising a plurality of buoyant gas compartments, an overflow bag of flexible material. a conduit forming communication from said buoyant compartments to the overflow bag equalizing relief valves controlling the discharge of gas from the buoyant compartments into the conduit, and means remote from the bag to return gas from the bag directly to the buoyant compartment.

5. The combination with an aircraft comprising a plurality of buoyant gas compartments, an overflow bag of flexible material, a conduit forming communication from said buoyant compartments to said bag equalizing relief valves controlling the gas flow from said buoyant compartments to said conduits,

a pumping installation remote from the bag,

a pipe communicating directly from said pumping installation communicating with all of said buoyant compartments and equalizing valves adapted to control the introduction of gas from said pumping installation to said buoyant compartments r 6. The combination with an aircraft embodying a plurality of buoyant gas compartments. an overflow bag of flexible material, a conduit communicating with all of said buoyant compartments, equalizing relief valves controlling the flow of gasfrom the buoyant compartments to the conduit, a pumping installation remote from the bag adapted to withdraw gas from the bag, a conduit in direct communication from the pumping installation to each of the buoyant compartments and a spring pressed valve for said conduit controlling the communication with each buoyant compartment, said valve being held normally closed by the combined action of said spring and the contained gas pressure. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MAX B. PUPP. 

